Improved bedstead-fastening



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

SPENCER LEWIS, OF TIFFIN, OIIIO.

IM PROVED BEDSTEAD-FASTENING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 45,4 17, dated December 13, 1864.

To @ZZ whom it 11i/ty concern:

Be it known that I, SPENCER LEWIS, of Tiffin, n the county of Seneca vand State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bedstead-Fastenings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the same, ret'- erence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part otl this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my invention, or a bedstead with my invention applied to it. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section ofthe saine through two of the posts, &c. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one'of the side rails andan end slat, broken part away. Fig. 4 is a perspective view ot' the end wedge-Slat with a part broken away. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of one post with the side rail fitted to it, the wedge-Slat heilig removed.

The nature of my invention consists in fastening the parts of a bedstead together by means of wedge-end slats and expansible di vided dovetails, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same, with reference to the drawings.

A is a spring ledge or support applied to the lower inner side of the side rails of the bedstead. Each side rail has such a ledge, as shown. The ends of these ledges are in form of a haltl dovetail, as indicated at a.

B B are short stops fastened tirmly to the ends ot' the side rails. These stops are a short distance above the ledges A A and on the same side of the side rails, as represented. The termini of these stops take the form of a half-dovetail, as indicated at b. rIhe two half-dovetails a. b are intended to constitute a full dovetail for each end of each side rail, the lower half-dovetails being on a ledge which springs downward when pressure is applied uear the ends of the ledge. The dovetail a b can be expanded for a purpose presently described.

The posts G O G O have each a dovetail mortise, c, eut in them, and into these mortises the dovetails a b are inserted by spring ing the half-dovetails ct b together and then allowing the half-dovetails to spring apart Within the mortises.

It may be well to have the stops B elastic, as well as the ledges A A, but I reserve to myself the privilege ot' having either the stops xed and the ledges yielding at their ends, or vice versa.

From the drawings it will be seen that a space, d, exists between the ledges and the stops. Into this space I insert the ends of the head and foot slats, D D, of the bedstead, and to insure a firm hold or bind between the parts I have made the space d of a compound wedge form. This is done by tvedging or beveling the stops from edge to edge, and also wedging or beveling them from end to end, as represented. The endsf of the head and foot slats, D D, are of a form corresponding to the spaces d d, and when these ends are inserted into the spaces they act as wedge half-dovetails and perform three oiiices-viz., first, acting to support or bear, with the other slats, the bed or mattress; second, acting as wedges for expanding the dovetails and thus tightening or fastening the rails in the posts; third, acting as a brace, supporting and keeping the bedstead rm and from racking.

With my plan of fastening, it is seen that Imake the head and foot sla-ts answer as a key, and the ledge-rails which support the slats answer as the main fasteningot' the bedstead, and thus, with the addition ot' four short stops to these parts, produce a very perfect bedsteadfastening, using no screws or other metal devices at all. I would state,

l however, that my pla-n could be embodied in iron bedsteads as well as in wooden ones; also, that some of the parts, if desired, may be made of metal. y

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The divided expansible dovetail fastetr ings, in combination with a bedstead, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The wedge-head or foot-slat for expanding and locking the fastening, substantially as set forth.

3. The ledges or supporting devices A A, serving for sustaining the slats and as the main portion of the fastening, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the several devices specified, for the purpose described.

sPENoEE LEWIS.

Witnesses:

A. M. WEIsEcKER, LEwis WrsLER. 

